Weighted pendant



Mar. 20, 1923.

T. H. MORRISON WEIGHTED PENDANT Filed Aug. 1'7, 1921 Patented Mar. 20,1923.

UNITED STATES THOMAS H. MORRISON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WEIG'HI'ED PENDANT.

Application filed August 17, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. MORRISON,

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Ill nois, have invented certain new and useful lrntirovements in Weighted Pendants, of

. which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to an improved weighted pendant and has as one ofits principal objects to provide a. device of this charactor which maybe readily employed for maintaining table cloths, curtains, draperiesand the like, arranged in place.

The invention has a further object to providea pendant which may beeasily attached to articles such as those mentioned and which may be asreadily removed, while at the same time, the device will, when applied,firmly grip the article with which it is engaged.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter Wl'liCil when employed upon a table cloth, will serve totensionthe cloth, thereby maintaining the cloth smooth and free fromwrinkles.

And the inventionhas as a still further objectto provide a device whichwill be simplein construction, which may be readily produced, and whichin use will not likely injure even the most delicate fabrics.

' ther and incidental objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view illustratin the use of myimproved device in connection with an ordinary table cloth,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device showing the weight employedin section. and illustrating different positions thereof in full anddotted lines.

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the body portion of the device, theweight being in section, and

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the manner in which the gripping jawsmay be spread by the weight.

In arranging table cloths, curtains. draperies. and the like. it isfrequently difficult to maintain them in the position desired, tablecloths. for instance. often being accidentally pulled or wrinkled whilecurtains or draperies are liable to be blown about by air currents.Accordingly. the present invention seeks to overcome these annoyances.In carrying the invention into effect, 1 provide a body member formed ofa single Serial No. 493,087.

length of suitable resilient wire bent intermediate its ends to provideoverlapping strands. At a point substantially midway thereof thesestrands are, as clearly shown in Figure 2, slightly bowed outwardly awayfrom eachother, as indicated at 10, and are crossed to form divergingspring arms.1l at the upper ends of which are shoulders 12. From thispoint, the strands of Wire are abruptly bent inwardly to again crosseach other medially above the shoulders 12 and incline upwardly andoutwardl in opposite directions, whence the stran s are again bentinwardly toward each other and are looped to provide coacting converginggripping jaws 13, the loops tending to prevent accidental tearing orpiercin of a fabric by the ends of the jaws. Shi table upon the bodymember is a spherical element provid ing a weight 15 of suitablematerial. the ball having a diametric opening 16 therethrough freelyreceiving the overlapping strands of the body member. To preventaccidental displacement of the weight 15 the strands of the body memberare bent laterally near the lOWQI'MBIliOf said member to define alaterally directed terminal 17 against which the weight normally rests.

As will now be seemthe shoulders 12-0f the spring arms 11 ma be graspedand pressed toward each ot er to spread the gripping jaws 13, whereupona portion of a table cloth or the like may be disposed between the jawswhen upon release of the shoulders the spring arms 11 will act toadvance the jaws toward each other into coacting relation, firmlygripping the fab ric between said jaws to support the device dependingfrom the table cloth, weighting the free margin thereof. However, ifdesired, the jaws, may, with equal facility, be separated by shiftingthe Weight 15 over the bowed portions 10 of the spring arms and forcingsaid weight upwardly against the lower end portions of the outwardlydiverging sections 11 of said arms to impinge thereagainst, in themanner illustrated in Figure 4, for pressing these portions toward eachother and consequently forcing the jaws apart. Bv then shifting theweight away from said portions, the arms will immediately act to bringthe jaws toward each other clamping the fabric therebetween. After thejaws have been caused to grip the fabric. it is to be particularlyObSPl\'8(l that by disposing the weight upon the bowed portions 10 ofthe spring arms, in the man ner indicated in dotted lines in Figure saidweight will prevent outward movement of said portions away from eachother to, in turn. prevent spr adilm of the jaws, thus locking the jawsin engagement with the fabric. Thus, the weight is capable oi performing a three-fold function, namely. that of providing a weight for thependant, that of acting as a spreader for the jaws, and that of lockingthe jaws in roacling relation. In Figure 1, I have. as an example. shownthe use of the device in conection with an ordinary table cloth in. apair of the deviees being illustrated. It is to be under sto'od.however, that as many of the pendants may be used as is found ne essaryor de sirable. and while I have shown the inven ti onin connection witha table cloth, it is to be understood. nevertheless. as previouslypointed out, that it may be employed in connection with curtains.draperies, and like articles. T accordingly provide a highly cttieientdevice for the purpose stated which will not be bunglesome and which maybe attractively finished to present a neat and pleasing appearance.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is:

l. A device of the character described including a body member havingcrossed resilient arms terminating in normally closed jaws, and a slidemounted upon the body below the arms and shittablc. to compress the armsto spread the jaws.

2. A device of the character described in eluding a body member havingcrossed resilient arms terminating at one end in normally closed jawsand at their opposite ends in opposed bows, and a slide encircling thebody member and adapted to compress the arms to spread the jaws orcompress the bows to prevent spreading of the jaws.

3. A. device of the character described including a. body member formedto provide crossed sprin arms having outwardly diverging portionsterminating in coacting gripping jaws. and a weight for the body membershiftable thereon to impinge the outwardly diverging portions of saidarms and force the arms toward each other to spread the jaws.

4. pendant including overlapping strands having oppositely bowedportions and thence crossed to provide diverging spring arms crossednear their free ends and tormed with coacting gripping jaws, and aweight slidable along said strands to coact with said arms for spreadingthe jaws or to coact with said bowed portions for locking the jawsagainst separation.

5. A device of the character described including a body membercomprising crossed spring arms having coacting gripping jaws and formedwith crossed oppositely directed bowed portions, and an elementshiftable upon said member to clasp'the crossed bowed portions of thearms below their crossing point and hold the a-ws toward each other.

6. A device of the character described including a body member havingcrossed resilient arms terminatin' at one end in normally closed jaws,a. slide on the body member adapted to compress the arms to spread the jaws, and a supporting stop for the slide on the body below the arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THOMAS H. MORRIS-ON. [a 5.]

